Part 34 (1/2)
The monster rose till he was almost three feet clear of the surface, then turned so as to strike the water absolutely flat, and just before the crash and splash of the fall, Murren hurled the harpoon into the fish, and sprang back to clear the line Although drenched and gasping from the torrent of water thrown over the boat by the devil ray, Colin took a bight of the line from the second coil and passed it around the foremost thwart He was just in time, for a few seconds later the rope tautened There was just one jerk and the boat started flying through the water, sending up a green wall on either side that threatened to swaun, Colin became at once quite calhing in glee
”Which way are we going, Pete?” asked the capitalist
”Lordy, Lordy, don' as' wine to de bottoro crouched down in the bottoe buyer roared at hi, you coward! You know these reefs”
”It don' matteh, boss, de vampa tuhn roun' in a minute an' jump on de boat an' sestion The ray was undoubtedly big enough to do that very thing, and everybody in the boat had seen its power to leap But even the little study that Colin had given to fishes came to his aid
”All rays live on shellfish,” he said, ”and they have small mouths with plates instead of teeth to crush the shells with So that it really couldn't do us any harm, any way”
”It's de smoddehin', boss, de smoddehin' Oh, why did Ah try an' ets on sho' again Ah'll be a betteh wine to do?”
His voice rose in a shriek
”He's a-comin' now!”
The pointed fin jerked suddenly and a third of the gigantic shape heaved itself into the air as the devil ray whirled There was an instant of suspense, but the giant went past, one huge fin beating the air like the waving of soht it and al Colin out
Over almost exactly the saht of the boat see to make no difference to its speed; and then a second time the creature turned It seemed impossible that with a speed of not less than twenty e a creature--the size of one side of a tennis court--could twist about in its own length How the rope and the frame of the boat stood the strain no one ever knew
Once more the vampire turned; the boat nearly went over, but she was a staunch little craft, and the fish started down the lagoon between the reefs at its top speed Often the creature put its two horn-like tentacles down for a dive, but the water was everywhere shallow and there was no chance to drag the boat under
”It doesn't see much,” the capitalist remarked, ”but I don't see what more we can do”
”No,” Colin answered, ”I don't think the ray feels our weight at all I believe it's going faster”
”We's all gwine to de bottoro ”Lordy, Ah been a bad ets ain!”
There was no doubt of it, the va faster and faster every h the water, and Pete, despite hisin and the ray sped on On either side were reefs, and razed sharp coral which would have ripped the bottom out of her if she had struck Mr Murren stood by the boith knife in hand ready to cut, waiting to the last minute
Presently a line of breakers, between two islets, appeared directly ahead It was only ahow the ray had turned before, Colin clutched the gunwale of the boat to prevent being flung out of it like a stone from a catapult when the creature swerved
”It's a-cowine to be seh”
”Hold on tight, all, look out for yourself, Paul,” Mr Murren cried; ”he's turning!”
But he rong
Instead of the black fin edging its way up, the whole great bulk of the uncanny creature heaved itself above the water like a great cloud and fell into the surf on the rocks, flapped upon theh half stranded, and with a heave that seeed into the sea beyond
”Better cut!” cried Colin